Page 115 of Ice Bet

Her brows fell. “For when?”

“Right now.”

37

AASHER

“What the fuck were you thinking?”

Theo wasn’t nearly as angry as I imagined he’d be, but he still slapped the top of my dashboard.

I glared at him from the driver’s seat.

“Riley?Really?I thought you said nothing was going on between you?”

I leaned back, eyeing the parking lot for Coach’s shiny black Dodge Ram with the BUWolves license plate. “Just like you said nothing was going on between you and your fake girlfriend?”

Theo thought twice and sighed, ripping off his BU beanie and throwing it in my back seat. “So what's your plan? You just gonna walk into Coach’s office and say,‘Hey, I’m fuckin’ your daughter, but don’t throw me off the team. Banish Graham Sullivan instead because he started a bet to see who could fuck her first. Oh, and I think he may have tried to date-rape her while I was supposed to be watching her. Sorry.’”

My jaw flexed.

“Fuck, Aasher. Think with your head, not your dick.”

“My dick? Really?” I seethed. “I’m pretty sure you of all people know that I'm not thinking with my dick.”

Theo blew out a breath, and I did the same.Relax.There was no way I would make it out alive if I walked into Coach’s office to tell the truth with anger riding my nerves.

“Fine. Sorry,” he said, flying back into the seat once more. “I’m just…we’rethisclose to the conference tourney, and now the entire team is going to be on edge.”

I know. I fucking know.“But,” he started, placing his hand on the door handle, “I would rip someone to fucking shreds if they pulled that shit with Claire.”

We made eye contact and silently agreed on a plan. Theo and I would do whatever it took to keep the team together while informing Coach about what happened. I knew Theo would back me because he understood where I was coming from. At the beginning of the season…maybe not. But now he and I both knew there could besomething more to the future thanjusthockey.

My phone rang just as the crisp winter air swooped into my car. We paused when Ford’s voice came through the speaker.

“Get to the arena.”

“I’m already here.”

Theo added, “With me.”

I heard Berkley say,“Good. He’s gonna need you.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, pretending I didn’t hear Coach’s shovel digging my grave in the background.

“Sully just slipped out of Coach’s office, looking more smug than ever.”

Efrain’s voice came through the speaker next. “He was practically walking on sunshine.”

Theo and I were out of my car before I could even manage to hang up.

I may have been walking right into my own death, but at least I’d die an honest man.

* * *

“Out.” Theo snapped his fingers once, and the entire locker room emptied. It was time for conditioning anyway, so not many players were lingering around, most of them already hitting the weights.

“Shit.” I forced a breath to leave my mouth. “I’m fucking nervous.”

---